Mots-clés

Diogenes Syndrome

Accumulation / Syllogomania / Diogenes Syndrome / Collectionism

Compulsive accumulation, also known as syllogomania or collectionism, is recognized as a subtype of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Accumulation is characterised by the following factors: the compulsive acquisition of objects that have no a priori value, the conservation of these objects and the lack of organisation that lead to a crowding of the person's living space. The accumulators fail to separate themselves from their hoarded objects, which give them feelings of security. Separation from the objects causes extreme anxiety. There is a controlling link between each object and the person. People suffering from severe forms of compulsive accumulation can present extreme neglect of both personal and domestic hygiene as well as a denial of the situation in which they find themselves (the whole process is often called the "Diogenes syndrome" in everyday language). This last point means that the person is not ashamed of his situation of insalubrity and will usually refuse any help. One often finds a belief in lack of personal means attached to this hoarding syndrome. The person even puts money aside and can live in great poverty.